PROTECT DRINKING WATER FROM 1,4-DIOXANE
Read CCE's 2019 Consumer Shopping Guide: Protecting Your Household from 1,4-Dioxane Exposure
Read CCE’s 2024 report on the success of NY’s law restricting 1,4-dioxane in household products
Victory! New York State Bans Household Products with 1,4-Dioxane
1,4-Dioxane is a hidden carcinogen lurking in everyday products. It was found in 65 out of 80 products (including shampoos, body washes, baby products, laundry detergents, hand and dish soaps) that CCE had independently tested in 2019. The EPA has established that 1,4-dioxane is likely to be carcinogenic to humans. Sewage and septic systems are not designed to filter out this contaminant, making our water resources very susceptible to contamination.
On December 9, 2019, NY’s Governor signed a bill into law that prohibits the sale of cosmetics, cleaning products, and personal care products that contain 1,4-dioxane (down to trace amounts) in New York State, beginning December 31, 2022. This first-of-its-kind law in the nation protects public health from exposure to the likely carcinogen and prevents further contamination of our water supply. Thank you to the thousands and thousands of New Yorkers that signed petitions, wrote letters, made phone calls, and spoke out in support of this law—we could not have done this without you!
The law went into full effect on January 1, 2024, and requires products reduce 1,4-dioxane down to 1,000 parts per billion (ppb) or below. CCE’s independent testing in 2018-2019 found that some of the highest levels of 1,4-dioxane were in laundry detergents. However, very few laundry detergents are listed on the NYS DEC waiver list, which many other products applied for and would allow them to be over the limit for one year. This meant they must have less than 1,000 ppb of 1,4-dioxane to be in compliance with NY State law. We wanted to confirm that popular detergents were in fact, in compliance and now have 1,000 ppb of 1,4 dioxane or below. In January 2024, CCE independently tested five laundry detergents that had high levels of the hidden carcinogen in 2019 and released a new report. The detections for all five were under the limits, which means the law is working and New Yorkers are now being exposed to less 1,4-dioxane. The law also led Proctor & Gamble to reduce 1,4-dioxane in all their products sold in North America.
1,4-Dioxane Widespread in Long Island Drinking Water
1,4-Dioxane is an emerging contaminant of concern found in Long Island's groundwater and drinking water. It is a Synthetic Organic Compound (SOC), which is never found in nature. According to CCE's evaluation of public water suppliers across Long Island, Nassau and Suffolk water suppliers have reported the highest levels of 1,4-dioxane contamination in the nation. 1,4-Dioxane is listed as "likely to be carcinogenic to humans," by the U.S. EPA. The chemical has been linked to tumors of the liver, kidneys, and nasal cavity. Our interactive map (below) shows the highest detections of 1,4-dioxane in each water district/distribution area across Long Island in 2017, which led to the passage of the NYS legislation limiting 1,4-dioxane in products and the NYS drinking water standard for this emerging contaminant.
Where Does 1,4-Dioxane Come From?
Legacy Contamination
Originally, 1,4-dioxane was used as an industrial solvent stabilizer and could be found widely in paints, primers, varnishes, degreasers, and inks. Although it has been phased out of use in some of these applications, many still contain it. Groundwater plumes that contain the chemical Trichloroethane (TCA) are very likely to also contain 1,4-dioxane. According to Newsday's database of Long Island Superfund sites, there are at least 50 sites that are known to contain TCA , meaning there is a high probability they also contain 1,4-dioxane. 1,4-Dioxane does not easily degrade or break down in the environment and is highly mobile in soil and groundwater.
The Hidden Carcinogen in Everyday Products
1,4-Dioxane is lurking in everyday products. It occurs as byproduct of a manufacturing process called ethoxylation and is found in many common household products. 1,4-Dioxane was found in 65 out of 80 products (including shampoos, body washes, baby products, laundry detergents, hand and dish soaps) that CCE had independently tested. Products tested had 1,4-dioxane levels as high as 17,000 ppb. The elevated levels found in many laundry detergents make laundromats a potential point-source of contamination for 1,4-dioxane. Some laundry detergents have been found to have the highest levels of 1,4-dioxane of any consumer products, with levels over 50 parts per million, a concentration equivalent to over 100,000 times the EPA's Cancer Risk Guideline for drinking water.
Since 1,4-dioxane is a manufacturing byproduct, it is not listed on the labels of household products, making it nearly impossible for consumers to make safe, informed choices. While manufacturers can remove 1,4-dioxane from products simply and cheaply, and the FDA recommends that manufacturers do so, many companies do not take that extra step. As mentioned above, New York State has enacted a law to prohibit the sale of consumer products that contain 1,4-dioxane, which is now in full effect.
Once down the drain, these products carry 1,4-dioxane directly into our groundwater through over 500,000 septic tanks and cesspools across Long Island. That groundwater eventually either flows outward into our surface waters or downward into our aquifers, which is the sole-source of Long Island's drinking water.
Victory! NYS Drinking Water Standard Established for 1,4-Dioxane
In addition to reducing 1,4-dioxane entering our drinking water, it is critical to filter this toxic contaminant from drinking water to protect public health. In 2020, CCE successfully advocated for a NYS drinking water standard, known as a Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL), of 1 ppb for 1,4-dioxane. This MCL is the most stringent, enforceable drinking water standard for 1,4-dioxane in the nation. Water suppliers with 1,4-dioxane over the limit of 1 ppb must put on advanced treatment systems to reduce the contaminant. While critical, these treatment systems are expensive. CCE advocates for state and federal funding for water suppliers and municipalities to upgrade their treatment technology to remove 1,4-dioxane from drinking water.